NEW MATERIALS USED FOR

INTERIORS
With increasing awareness among people about eco friendly products and
green homes, people are orienting themselves towards using eco friendly
products and use materials that are readily available in nature and less
energy intensive.

Use of Fabric in a different way

There has been a huge revolution in fabric with people becoming more
experimental. The trend is towards natural fibers such as cotton, linen and
silk as well as to incorporating design, particularly graphic design into the
fabric.

Concerns on health and safety have led to the manufacture of fire-retardant

fabric and the pace of 21st century life has new demands like stain-retardant

or spill-retardant features for fabric.

Materials such as Damask, silk, cotton, linen,

weaves, textures, Graphic printing, Ancient ethnic
prints, floral etc.

Use of Leather
Members of the trade that is the manufacturers, distributors and retailers
have differing views on the use and popularity of leather furniture. Upper
income groups really enjoy using leather and in very popular demand among
upper income demographic but not really popular among middle class
segment.

Trendy use of Leather

Leather is particularly used by designers furniture for the lounge space,

especially in banks and senior manager’s cabin etc. Faux Leather has
become quite popular in the market for its convenience and trendy style
whereas the pure leather is the only for the upper segment which has high
maintenance and does not look as trendy and stylish as the faux leather.

Appearance and materials that

matter
Metallic’s, shine and shimmer and reflecting surfaces are the look of the
moment with furniture finished with metallic polish, reflective surfaces and
mirrors as key signature elements. The new changing trends emphasize on
the contemporary style but are moving away from the building materials
such as clinical glass, leather and steel to more texture.
Aesthetics and use of new materials
There has also been new interest rising among people in Baroque fixtures,
bold design and an element of shine and sparkle in almost all product
design. Grandeur is fashionable and so is a return to luxury in living.

Materials that are being used give a distressed finish. Materials

such as shiny copper, chrome, gunmetal, steel and aluminium. Wall
paper and smoked glass is used to create textures.

Lighting Techniques
The product design has had a great impact due to development in
technology. The influence of technology on product design is more visible
than in the lighting sector. Since, the majority of people are going green and
eco-friendly, use of low energy, low footprint and eco friendly lighting is
catching up with the upper market. A high awareness of products and new
lighting techniques is caused an increased demand for the trained designers
and architects.
New lighting equipment emphasizes on Low energy
consumption/power savers. LED, CFL, Yellow Light, Crystal lights,
Embedded lighting, decorative glass lighting etc. have become very
popular these days.

SOME NEW MATERIALS INTRODUCED

Researchers throughout Berkeley Lab are developing new materials for use in the
broadest imaginable range of industrial applications, as well as everyday applications
from building materials to biomedicine. A new and growing area of research at Berkeley
Lab focuses on nanotechnology.

The examples of energy-efficient new materials that follow were developed or studied at
Berkeley Lab

Gas-Filled Panels

Gas-Filled Panels, or GFPs, use thin polymer films and low-conductivity gas to create a
device with extraordinary thermal insulation properties. GFPs are essentially hermetic
plastic bags that can take on a variety of shapes and sizes. Inside the outer barrier is a
cellular structure called a baffle. Argon gas filling provides an effective thermal
resistance level of R-7 per inch, krypton gas provides R-12.5 per inch, and xenon gas
provides R-20 per inch.

Importance
 • Energy use of domestic refrigerator/freezers is directly influenced by the overall
thermal performance of the cabinet and doors. An advanced thermal insulation
technology can improve the efficiency of appliances such as refrigerators.

• Insulation materials are critical in buildings designed for low energy use and good
thermal comfort.

• Will be increasingly important in the future development of cars because

significant improvements in gas mileage can be achieved by downsizing the
heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment.

• Waste reduction and higher thermal performance compared to close-cell foam is

possible using Gas-Filled Panels

• The panels feature low mass and low volume

Aerogels
Aerogel is a lightweight, advanced material that consists of more than 96 percent air.
The remaining four percent is a matrix of silica (silicon dioxide), a principal raw material
for glass. This material is one of the lightest weight solids ever developed.

Uses
 • Environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, recyclable alternatives for polyurethane
foam in freezers, refrigerators, refrigerated vehicles and freezer display cases.
• Alternative insulators in appliances such as water heaters and ovens.
• Aircraft and aerospace industry applications.

• Luminescent composites with potential opto-electronic applications

Better Fuel Cells

Berkeley Lab researchers have developed a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) that promises
to generate electricity as cheaply as the most efficient gas turbine.

Their innovation, which paves the way for pollution-free power generators that
serve neighborhoods and industrial sites, lies in replacing ceramic electrodes
with stainless-steel-supported electrodes that are stronger, easier to
manufacture, and, most importantly, cheaper. This latter advantage marks a
turning point in the push to develop commercially viable fuel cells.
 Kirei

Tobias Stucco Interior Wall Finish

Tobias Stucco interior wall finish is a non-toxic odor free and
environmentally friendly alternative to paint or plaster.

Arpro
ARPRO EPP is one of the hottest design material plastic foams for industrial
designers and automotive designers breaking the boundaries in engineering
possibilities.
 LUXE Plaster
LUXE Plaster is dedicated to providing architects, designers, builders and
homeowners with the broadest range of premium Venetian plaster finishes.

A Look at Some of the Materials Being Used In

Interior Design
If you have been watching interior design trends, you may have seen some old familiar materials
being used in very surprising ways. With newer and more innovative ways of treating certain
materials, they are suddenly being used in ways that they never have before.

One perfect example of this is the use of glass. While the first impression is that glass is too
fragile to be used with gay abandon, reinforced glass tiles are stronger than ever before and are
being used in kitchens as flooring, work surfaces and wall tiles. This can be a fantastic way to
bring a clean hit of color into your room while still keeping it looking as modern and cutting
edge as possible.

Leather is also being used in interior design. While this material has been used to cover furniture
for many years, interior designers are now using leather area rugs that use this material in new
and surprising ways. Modern rugs made out of leather are not necessarily pieces of hide or skin
which are laid on the floor. They have now broken out of the mold and are created with strips or
pieces of leather that are woven or sewn together as floor coverings. They can be beautiful to
look at but if you are purchasing one you may want to find out how much abuse they can handle
and place them in your home accordingly.

Stainless steel is another material which is being used in interior design. Many people have seen
furniture made with stainless steel frames but now they are being used to create tables and other
elements that you can use in a variety of rooms. In kitchens, stainless steel counter tops are still
very popular but now this material is also being turned into floor and wall tiles for a sleek and
streamlined look.

People are starting to look at the materials that they are using in their homes more closely. In the
past, people were happy to use cabinets and flooring made out of laminated wood but now there
has been a trend back to solid wood because some laminated products can release harmful
chemicals into the air. In an attempt to keep their home as green as possible they have started to
switch to products which are also being made with environmentally sustainable materials such as
bamboo, wool and even recycled plastic.
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